Bo Bichette is staying in New York, hoping to one day become the King of Queens.
While no one can take that title away from Doug Heffernan, if Bichette helps lead the New York Mets to a World Series title, there will certainly be a debate. The Mets third baseman exercised his $42 million player option to remain with the team on Thursday, according to multiple reports.
Last season, Bichette signed a three-year, $126 million contract with the Mets that included player opt-outs after each season. The 28-year-old decided to remain with the Mets after an uneven season.
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Bichette, who had been a shortstop with the Toronto Blue Jays, switched positions to become the Mets’ third baseman. The beginning of the season was a struggle, as he started at third base but then moved back to shortstop after Francisco Lindor got hurt.
While he was juggling positions, Bichette got off to a dismal start at the plate. Through June 10, Bichette had a .227 batting average with five home runs, 32 RBI and a paltry .597 OPS.
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After that, the two-time All-Star finally turned it on and looked like the hitter baseball fans had become accustomed to seeing. From June 11 through the end of the season, Bichette hit .285 with 13 home runs, 46 RBI and a .779 OPS. For the season, Bichette played in 152 games and hit .260 with 18 home runs, 76 RBI and a .702 OPS, which was well below his career OPS of .788.
After his rocky season, Bichette would have been unlikely to find a free-agent contract worth more than the $42 million he is set to earn in 2027. Regardless, his return is a good thing for the Mets, who will have some continuity on the left side of their infield with Bichette and Lindor.
That continuity is especially valuable because the team’s right side of the infield is not nearly as certain. Marcus Semien struggled last year and will likely compete with Brett Baty and prospects for the second-base job, while first base remains wide open after the team struggled to replace Pete Alonso.